sheepskins

nicudaynurse · Sep 9, 2003

We use sheepskin on all our babies, but we are encouraged to take it away as the infant gets closer to going home.

magRN · Sep 10, 2003

We do use sheepskins, we do stop using them once a baby starts to bottle or brst feed. A while back in Neonatal Network they spoke on how babys were having trouble adjusting at home without all the snuggle wear.....all fits into developmental care...we started quiet time around then too.

dawngloves, BSN, RN · Sep 10, 2003

We don't use them. I think the AAP said it can contribute to SIDS. Not that that's the reason we don't have them.

And would you look at the Google ads on the right of this thread!!! :chuckle

Edited to ad: First it was about Sheepskin slippers and rugs, now it's about the Peace corps! :confused: I guess because I mentioned the AAP!

Baby Nurse RN · Sep 10, 2003

We use sheepskin for all of our babies. When they are weaned to a crib, we take it away and use regular blankets to lay them on.

Susan

gwenith, BSN, RN · Sep 10, 2003

Umm we use sheepskins on everyone - IF we can get them there is nothing nicer than a good thick merino sheepskin rug under someone - however to be any good they had to be next to teh skin and that meant - you guessed it.

Trouble was they would inevitably end up going to the laudry where the steam cleaning would shrink them and turn them form a 3 ft sheepskin into a 6 inch furry board:chuckle

Some Mums do have the shorter sheepskins for the little ones to lie on during the day.

prmenrs, RN · Sep 10, 2003

We used to use them, even to the point of having Mom take it home and launder it, then they kept them. But those gorgeous, natural [from Australia, Gwenith] ones got too $$$. The fake ones are ok, we still use them on paralyzed, really sick kids, but the premies eventually start sucking on them and get wads of fuzz in their mouths!!!! NOT good. I even used to tape 2 of the fake ones together for big babies so I could roll the sides up and use it to tilt the baby on their sides a bit--get off their little butts.

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD · Sep 11, 2003

We use sheepskins on most of our preemies of around 34 weeks or below. We stop using them when they wean to an open crib. We give the parents the option of keeping them for uses other than baby bedding (some people say their dogs like laying on them). We only have the fake kind which is cheaper I guess so each kid usually has at least 2 full sized ones that we cut in half giving mom time to wash and bring them back in as they get dirty.

nurseiam · Sep 12, 2003

Thanks for the input!

NicuGal, MSN, RN · Sep 14, 2003

No sheepskin at our unit. The big SIDS thing lead to not using it in our unit anymore. We use eggcrate on the really sick kids, but as soon as they are better or grow some, that is taken away and we just nest them on 3 blankets that are rolled at the sides.

We are trying to get the gel pillows in our unit to use under the nitric and osc kids..and a whole little 23-24 weeker can fit on one LOL

kitty29 · Sep 14, 2003

some of the nurses in our unit have heard that on autopsy they have seen fluff from the sheepskins in the lungs? We don't have a protocol not to use them, but some nurses are placing a blanket over the sheepskins to rest the baby on.

Then once babys are starting oral feedings we have stopped using the snuggle-ups and sheepskins all-together.

'We no longer send sheepskins home because of the sids risk. Also we no longer launder and reuse sheepskins because of infection risk....we use new each time.

Has anyone heard of the article I mentioned?

Mimi2RN, ASN, RN · Sep 21, 2003

We use eggcrates on the little ones, and some babies love the snuggle-ups. We do use cloth diapers under the baby's head, in case of spit-ups. They come off the eggcrates when they get bigger, never go home with them.

We don't keep micro-premies, so these are usually 29 weeks plus, and over 2 lbs.